Chapter 2

"Hi, I'd like to report a crime. I suspect there's a massive prostitution party going on here."

I never realized how toxic Olivia's inner circle actually was.

If Damien hadn't rounded up all those girls to throw her a birthday bash, I would've thought they were harmless drinking buddies at worst.

As it turned out, they were anything but harmless.

My head spun as I replayed Damien's words about needing his permission. No wonder Olivia always acted so shifty and vanished into the restroom for ages before we got intimate.

I forced myself to breathe.

I wanted a divorce more than anything, but it wasn't that simple.

Our families were business partners, and our marriage was the anchor holding many joint projects and capital together.

Olivia thoroughly repulsed me, but I couldn't just drag everyone else into the mess.

As I took a deep breath to steady myself, my phone buzzed with a text from my mother-in-law, Margaret Foster.

"How was the birthday party, you two? Your dad wanted to grab dinner with you guys tonight, but I told him that young people don't want to hang out with a couple of old folks on a birthday, so we didn't call you today.

"Tomorrow, once you're done with your romantic weekend, why don't you swing by the house for a family dinner?"

I stared at the screen. Before I could figure out a response, my phone lit up with an incoming call.

Olivia was losing her mind on the other end. "Ethan, what the hell is wrong with you? Do you have any idea that filing a false police report is a felony?"

I ended the call and replied to Margaret, "Olivia isn't in a good mood today, so she went out to play some party games with her friends.

"I heard from some guys in our social circle that things got out of hand over some guy, and now the cops are involved. I can't even track her down right now. Mom, what should I do? She's a woman out there on her own, and I'm honestly worried."

I called Olivia right after, but just as I expected, it went straight to a busy signal.

At that point, I wasn't even sure we'd be visiting the Bennett residence tomorrow.

…

It was late at night when Olivia finally returned.

The alcohol had mostly worn off, leaving her expression flickering with a mix of frustration and fury. After pacing around the room several times, she couldn't help but stop in front of me.

"It was just a joke," she said. "Did you really have to blow it up like this?"

I let out a dry scoff. "I thought you said you didn't even see him as a guy?"

Olivia's words caught in her throat.

Only after a long pause did she clench her jaw and spit, "You already laid into him at the party! And before he could even recover from that, you threw him to the cops!

"He was just trying to do something sweet for my birthday, and you spent the entire night humiliating him. Ethan, just because your family has money doesn't mean you get to go around being a bully."

The amount of mental gymnastics she did was so absurd that I actually laughed out loud.

"I'm a bully? His family business is about to go under. Are you going to tell me that's my fault, too?" I retorted.

"No!" Olivia snapped, getting defensive. "Stop trying to twist my words! The bottom line is that you put your hands on Damien, and you terrified him! Why can't you get that through your thick skull?"

I held her gaze without saying a word, and her voice gradually died down.

Then, she uncomfortably shifted her eyes away from me.

"It was just a game," she said. "Everyone in our friend group swore we'd never get married. I was the first one to break the pact, and Damien just had a hard time letting go of me.

"Besides, it's not like he ever says no when I ask for his permission. Ethan, it literally has zero impact on your life. You're completely overreacting."

Deep into the night, the room was so quiet that the ticking of the wall clock was the only sound filling the silence between us.

After what felt like an eternity, I finally nodded.

"You're right. That actually makes a ton of sense."

A flicker of joy flashed in her eyes, but I continued, "From now on, I'll need the approval of my childhood friends and best friends before anything can happen between us."

Olivia froze.

"We're talking about our private life. What does that have to do with anyone else?" she questioned.

I looked at her, and she went completely quiet, her eyes turning stone-cold.

"Wow, Ethan. You really are a piece of work."

…

The aroma of breakfast was what finally woke me up the next morning.

When I opened the door, I found the dining table covered in a beautiful breakfast spread. The elegant presentation made the source instantly obvious.

It was from Copper Table, the private breakfast cafe Margaret ran.

Melissa Grant, the Bennetts' housekeeper, stepped back respectfully. "Mr. Calloway, Ms. Bennett asked us to prepare this for you and bring it over."

Set right in front of my usual spot was a plate of lobster rolls, each one garnished with a delicate pinch of caviar.

A bit further down the table, there were soufflé pancakes and croissants.

Every dish on the table was something I had reached for a second helping whenever we dined with Margaret.

The door to the guest bedroom clicked open, and Olivia stepped out, looking disoriented for a few seconds.

The sleep left her eyes the moment she caught sight of me.

After spending some time fussing around in the bathroom, she hurried out and sat across from me. "Honey, I had this spread made specially for you. These are all your favorites, right?"